[Blindmath] pdf intrigue

[Nelson Blachman]

  ff fi fl ffl & ffi, when stuck together as single characters, are called 
"ligatures" rather than "strings."

  Nelson
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jonathan Godfrey" <a.j.godfrey at massey.ac.nz>
To: "Blind Math list for those interested in mathematics" 
<blindmath at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, March 19, 2009 8:26 PM
Subject: [Blindmath] pdf intrigue


> Hi all,
>
> I've been watching the discussion re LaTeX and pdf documents over the last 
> week or more and now have clarified something for myself. Hopefully my 
> comments prove useful for others.
>
> As part of being a lecturer I am often making notes for students. LaTeX 
> has been my tool of choice for quite some time. I used to generate post 
> script files and print them for the students. With our moves towards less 
> paper and more electronic delivery, I am now making more pdf documents for 
> them instead.
>
> I have also been reading more and more papers from other authors in pdf 
> format via our library's connection to various journal databases.
>
> I have wondered for some time why various different sources led to 
> different quality of pdf documents and have at least for my own pdf 
> creation found out a few things this year.
>
> Regardless of the source file I use, I find the following results.
> 1. We can't read post script files - well known fact.
> 2. we can't read the majority of equations in pdf files. (also a well 
> known fact)
> 3. many pdf files do not convert to text cleanly as spaces are either 
> included in funny places and then not in others. Line breaks between words 
> is another frustration.
> 4. If I make a pdf straight from the source code it is often a mess (point 
> 3).
> 5. If I make the dvi file and then convert to pdf the problems with point 
> 3 remain.
> 6. When I go through the process of making the dvi file, then the post 
> script file and then  making the pdf from the post script file it ends up 
> considerably easier to read the text with jaws.
> 7. Points 4 and 5 also lead to character strings involving an f are often 
> not converted to text properly. This includes the strings "ff", "fi", and 
> "ffi" just to illustrate three different problems. The laborious creation 
> of the pdf (point 6) seems to work for these character strings.
>
> The first few points are thoroughly discussed on this list from time to 
> time. Now if someone can suggest why these other observations are so then 
> maybe I'll learn how to shorten the time taken to get documents that I can 
> at least partially check myself.
>
> For the record, the pdf documents that are typeset in LaTeX that have no 
> Greek or complex mathematical operators and  symbols are beautiful to work 
> with, especially with the more recent versions of jaws and acrobat reader. 
> I've come to really like the hyper linking that is possible with LaTeX and 
> pdf documents and given I can read the equations in source code things are 
> really getting quite sweet. Now I'm off to solve the small problem of 
> graphs in statistical analyses <smiles>.
>
> Cheers,
> Jonathan
>
> _____
> Dr A. Jonathan R. Godfrey
> Lecturer in Statistics
> Institute of Fundamental Sciences
> Massey University
> Palmerston North
> Phone: +64-6-356 9099 ext 7705
> Mobile: +64-29-538-9814
> Room: AH2.82
>
> Home Address: 22 Bond St, Palm. Nth.
> Home Phone: +64-6-353 2224 (or FleaBag if you prefer to remember it that 
> way)
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